Thursday, November 13, 2008

WDC Summer Rankings

I don't read a lot into these rankings, but its good fodder. More importantly it's good to see who your competition is both in front of you and behind you. I had one good race at the end of the summer which likely propelled me into the top 10. But most of the runners lined up behind me would have crushed me in that same race (if they had run it). Runners 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 (and others?) are all much better runners than me and therefor should be ahead of me. Examples - I went head to head with Robbie Wade in at least one DC race this summer and he, as usual, rocked me. I beat Nate Brigham in that same race, but the guy was coming off of a stellar marathon debut and clearly wasn't "racing" in top form. Either way, DC is getting competitive. Over 50 people made this list this time around. I think the norm is around 30.

This period was one of the closest races ever. Steven Crane ended the period finishing third at the Kentlands-Lakelands 5K in 14:42 behind AbiyotAbebe's runner-up 14:39. Abebe had five wins in his 11 races during the period, never finishing worse than third overall. His second best race, the Georgetown 8K in 24:45, matched Crane's Leesburg 10K of 30:58 exactly. After that his times equate to slightly slower than a 5:00 pace 10K. Crane was undefeated in his first eight races, including the Crystal City 5K in 14:46. More telling, he also bested Abebe in two races, a never-in-doubt rout at the Lawyers Have Heart 31:22 to 32:14, and an opening period tester We've Got Your Back 4M, 19:23 to 19:32. After his 25:41 Heritage 5M win in July, Tim Young exploded to a powerful 51:41 win at the Hartwood 10 Mile. The next two runners had so-so efforts for their second race. DejemeNigussie ran the champion-maker Kentlands 5K in 15:02. Dave Berdan ran the Race for Our Kids 10K in June to an overall win in 31:27. A week later he ran the Survivor 7M in 37:33. Nigussie did his work the day after his first race, winning the 50th Larry Noel 15K in 50:50. Michael Wardian of Arlington, VA never met a race, at least a long one, he did not like. Half the time when he lines up at a race, he is just getting back into town from another event. He won the Leesburg 20K in a solid 1:06:29. The only reason his fastest race of 24:49 at the Georgetown 8K did not get him the sixth spot is that he met defeat against Jaron Hawkins in late August when Hawkins won the Gary Brown Memorial 5M 24:59 to 25:21. Jared Abuya of Fairfax, VA is next, racing 4 miles in 19:50, ahead of tenth place Bart Bourghuis (19:57) and edging Robert Wade, 11th place, for fourth overall at the Twilight 8K, 25:05 to 25:08. Jake Klim of Bethesda, MD knifes between them at Kentlands, racing 15:15. Fifty-four runners made the division.